Different Ways To Prepare Tobacco

[bphilli75]

I'd love to hear some of the ways you all "prepare" different types of tobacco. For example, I know some folks will pull enough for a bowl and dry it out a bit. For one of my staple blends, Sutliff Medium English, I will pull about two ounces from the jar and spread it out on a paper plate. A thin paper plate, by the way, is a great tool for preparing tobacco. It's very easy to fold the plate and pour decent amounts of tobacco into a jar or pouch. I break up the bigger bits and discard any stems to get a more uniform consistency, and I let it air out for about thirty minutes or so, stirring it up now and then. Then it goes into a non sealed plastic bag and into a roll up pouch. Then, I can just scoop, stuff-n-puff pretty easily.
This doesn't work so well with another favorite of mine, Classic Burley Kake; so I just leave that in the tin and pull it out on demand. I like to try to preserve the broken up kake until just before it goes into the bowl, so it doesn't crumble into too small of bits.
With my one of my former, now discontinued, favorites, Burley London Blend, I used to pull it all from the tin, gently rub out the broken flake, remove stems, and mason jar it. Then I would pull a couple ounces at a time for the pouch.
What are some of the ways you "prepare" different types of tobacco?

 

[aldecaker]

I bought one of those nifty "grinders" the potheads use to grind up their stuff. It is basically two pieces of 3" round wood with spikes inside it. It works great to give Orlik Golden Sliced and PS Bullseye Flake a perfect "rubbed out" texture. As far as drying goes, any tobacco I feel needs drying time gets zapped in the microwave, a bowl's worth at a time. I've gotten lazier and lazier with my tobacco futzing as time goes by!

 

[hawke]

I read a thread about grinders that not a single person liked them, but I have found them to be handy with flakes. It took me a few times to learn how to use it but for those wet flakes grinding them down to a very course coffee texture allows them to dry out real fast or ready to smoke almost immediately . I like to keep all my tobacco moist until ready to smoke. Sometimes I will lay flakes out on my Drying Station for a spell, but if the tobacco gets too dry flavor is lost and can become harsh. Now if I'm at work its a different story. I'll have some flakes that I may dry out during lunch or something, but I'll also carry some Carter Hall for those times. I have a wind cover I JB Welded a nickel to the top that snaps on and I can stick a hot pipe in my pocket and it goes out quickly. Then when I am on the next walking trip outside I have some left over in the pipe for a quick hit or two.

 

[aldecaker]

Yeah, I had seen bad press on them as well, but I'm glad I bought one anyway. It's hard for me to argue with good results!

 

[shutterbugg]

For flakes and coins I scrunch it up and pack it as experience has taught me lets it expand when lit to draw just right. For loose cuts the same except no need for scrunching. I don't like to overcomplicate things needlessly.

 

[warren]

I rub out what needs to be rubbed, stuff and smoke. I am also one who is not into rituals or over complicating what, to me, should be a simple, satisfying experience. I want the blend smoldering in the pipe, the pipe in the mouth.

 

[sablebrush52]

Makes an excellent fricassee, ca be par boiled, rotisseried, pickled and buried in a clay pot for a year, it's very versatile.